Noise and health in the urban environment

The Governance of Traffic Noise Impacting Pedestrian Amenities in Melbourne Australia: A Critical Policy Review

By identifying a unified aim of Federal, State, and Local government authorities to deliver healthier, more liveable urban spaces and enable walkable neighbourhoods in Melbourne, Australia, questions emerge regarding noise data collection methods and the policies that aim to protect pedestrian areas from potential increases in urban traffic noise. It highlights a missed opportunity to develop strategies that provide explicit guidance for designing more compact urban forms without diminishing pedestrian amenities. This study investigates the governance of traffic-induced noise pollution and its impact on pedestrian amenities in Melbourne, Australia. It aims to identify the government bodies best positioned to protect pedestrians from noise pollution and evaluate the strategic justification for reducing traffic noise to enhance urban walkability. This research employs a semi-systematic policy selection method and a hybrid critique and review method to evaluate the multidisciplinary governance frameworks engaged in the management and mitigation of traffic noise in Melbourne. Key findings reveal that while traffic noise poses significant health risks, current policies overlook its impact on pedestrian amenities in urban areas. This study emphasises the benefits of qualitative and subjective noise data collection to inform policy-makers of the pedestrian aural experience and impacts. Discussion points include noise management strategies and the value of implementing metropolitan-scale noise-mapping to illustrate the impact of noise rather than quantities of sound. The conclusions demonstrate that there is strategic justification for managing traffic-induced noise pollution to protect pedestrian areas within international, federal, and state government policies and implicit rationale at a local level.

DELTA: Integrating Multimodal Sensing with Micromobility for Enhanced Sidewalk and Pedestrian Route Understanding

Urban environments are undergoing significant transformations, with pedestrian areas emerging as complex hubs of diverse mobility modes. This shift demands a more nuanced approach to urban planning and navigation technologies, highlighting the limitations of traditional, road-centric datasets in capturing the detailed dynamics of pedestrian spaces. In response, we introduce the DELTA dataset, designed to improve the analysis and mapping of pedestrian zones, thereby filling the critical need for sidewalk-centric multimodal datasets. The DELTA dataset was collected in a single urban setting using a custom-designed modular multi-sensing e-scooter platform encompassing high-resolution and synchronized audio, visual, LiDAR, and GNSS/IMU data. This assembly provides a detailed, contextually varied view of urban pedestrian environments. We developed three distinct pedestrian route segmentation models for various sensors-the 4K camera, stereocamera, and LiDAR-each optimized to capitalize on the unique strengths and characteristics of the respective sensor. These models have demonstrated strong performance, with Mean Intersection over Union (IoU) values of 0.84 for the reflectivity channel, 0.96 for the 4K camera, and 0.92 for the stereocamera, underscoring their effectiveness in ensuring precise pedestrian route identification across different resolutions and sensor types. Further, we explored audio event-based classification to connect unique soundscapes with specific geolocations, enriching the spatial understanding of urban environments by associating distinctive auditory signatures with their precise geographical origins. We also discuss potential use cases for the DELTA dataset and the limitations and future possibilities of our research, aiming to expand our understanding of pedestrian environments.

Diurnal rail noise measurement, analysis, and evaluation of associated health impacts on residents living in the proximity of rail track area

In India, railway is the major transportation mode for carrying goods and people. The tracks for the movement of the rail were initially constructed in the city for the pre-eminence and expediency of the vantage of the people. Rapid modernization and increasing population in the city crammed the area around the railway tracks. Moving rail on the tracks passing through the city is not compatible, which is creating problems for the nearby residents. In the urban and suburban regions, the railway noise has become a major problem. This study was conducted to examine the perception of the physiological and psychological effects of railway noise in the nearby areas of railway stations in Delhi, India. For this purpose, 10 sites near the railway station were selected for the study. To assess the impact of railway noise pollution on the health of humans, a questionnaire survey was conducted. The data of 344 individuals were collected through the questionnaire survey and analyzed to get the perception towards railway noise. Noise level was monitored by a Sound Level Meter (SLM) and the equivalent noise level (Leq) in dB(A) was used to compute the noise pollution in three shifts, i.e., morning, noon, and evening time. Results showed that 57.65% of female and 86.11% of male respondents in the survey reported the disturbance due to railway noise. The level of noise pollution was found higher in the evening time as compared to the noon and morning period, which exceeds the limit set by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) at all the monitored locations. Findings of the study show that the primary cause of the health problems is railroad noise, which is negatively impacting the health of the residents, who are living in the proximity of the rail track region. The perception survey reported that headache, sleep disturbance, irritation, and stress are common health issues among the locals residing around the railway track proximity in Delhi.

Environmental noise is positively associated with socioeconomically less privileged neighborhoods in the Netherlands

BACKGROUND

Environmental noise has detrimental effects on various health outcomes. Although disparities in some environmental exposures (e.g., air pollution) are well-documented, there is still a limited and uncertain understanding of the extent to which specific populations are disproportionately burdened by noise.

AIM

To assess whether environmental noise levels are associated with demographic and socioeconomic neighborhood compositions.

METHODS

We cross-sectionally examined long-term noise levels for 9,372 neighborhoods in the Netherlands. We linked these noise levels with administrative data on neighborhood characteristics for the year 2021. Linear and non-linear spatial regression models were fitted to explore the associations between noise, demographic, and socioeconomic neighborhood characteristics.

RESULTS

Our results showed that 46 % of the neighborhoods exhibited noise levels surpassing the recommended threshold of 53 dB to prevent adverse health effects. The regressions uncovered positive and partially non-linear neighborhood-level associations between noise and non-Western migrants, employment rates, low-incomers, and address density. Conversely, we found negative associations with higher-educated neighborhoods and those with a greater proportion of younger residents. Neighborhoods with older populations displayed a U-shaped association.

CONCLUSIONS

This national study showed an inequality in the noise burden, adversely affecting vulnerable, marginalized, and less privileged neighborhoods. Addressing the uneven distribution of noise and its root causes is an urgent policy imperative for sustainable Dutch cities.

Study on the Effect of Dalbergia pinnata (Lour.) Prain Essential Oil on Electroencephalography upon Stimulation with Different Auditory Effects

Dalbergia pinnata (Lour.) Prain (D. pinnata) is a valuable medicinal plant, and its volatile parts have a pleasant aroma. In recent years, there have been a large number of studies investigating the effect of aroma on human performance. However, the effect of the aroma of D. pinnata on human psychophysiological activity has not been reported. Few reports have been made about the effects of aroma and sound on human electroencephalographic (EEG) activity. This study aimed to investigate the effects of D. pinnata essential oil in EEG activity response to various auditory stimuli. In the EEG study, 30 healthy volunteers (15 men and 15 women) participated. The electroencephalogram changes of participants during the essential oil (EO) of D. pinnata inhalation under white noise, pink noise and traffic noise stimulations were recorded. EEG data from 30 electrodes placed on the scalp were analyzed according to the international 10-20 system. The EO of D. pinnata had various effects on the brain when subjected to different auditory stimuli. In EEG studies, delta waves increased by 20% in noiseless and white noise environments, a change that may aid sleep and relaxation. In the presence of pink noise and traffic noise, alpha and delta wave activity (frontal pole and frontal lobe) increased markedly when inhaling the EO of D. pinnata, a change that may help reduce anxiety. When inhaling the EO of D. pinnata with different auditory stimuli, women are more likely to relax and get sleepy compared to men.

Addressing the influencing path of social noise exposure risk perception on noise mitigation behavior

Noise interference has become a common health risk in population-densified urban areas where social noise occurs frequently. However, the influence of an individual's perception of social noise exposure risk on reactive behavior remains unknown. This study developed an integrative psychosocial perspective-based model that includes constructs from two theoretical frameworks (the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Value-Belief-Norm theory) to analyze noise risk perception and behavioral intention for social noise mitigation. Haidian District, Beijing, was selected as the case study area and 300 questionnaires were distributed. The results showed that personal attributes had significant effects on residents' noise exposure risk perception and noise-mitigation behavioral intentions. Noise perception, as represented by awareness of consequences and ascription of responsibility, was significantly related to noise mitigation behavioral intention. Awareness of consequences directly positively influenced behavioral intention (β = 0.235, p < 0.001) and indirectly positively influenced behavioral intention through the mediating effect of the ascription of responsibility, which accounted for 24 % of the total effect of awareness of consequences on behavioral intention. This study provides valuable insights into the risks of social noise and encourages adaptive measures to reduce it.

Noise levels and annoyance among staff in a tertiary care hospital in North India: A cross-sectional study

Hospital noise has remained a low priority problem in India. An area of not less than 100 meters around a hospital is considered a silence zone, with guidelines restricting noise levels at 50dBA during daytime and 40dBA during the night. World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines also stipulate an average of 30dBA and a maximum of 40dbA. Annoyance is a known effect of noise exposure. However, very few studies have attempted to explore the hospital soundscape and the annoyance among staff related to it. Noise data was collected from 30 sites, using a Digital Integrating Sound Level Meter, LutronSL-4035SD (ISO-9001,CE,IEC1010) meeting IEC61672 standards. Stratified random sampling of staff was done on basis of noise exposure. A pre-designed, semi-structured questionnaire collected information on sociodemographic and work profile. Annoyance was defined as a stress reaction to environmental noise and was measured using standardized general purpose noise reaction questionnaire (ISO-TS/15666). Data was analyzed in SPSS. The mean LAeq 24 h across all the sites was 69.5dBA (SD ±5.8dBA) for the weekdays and 66.2dBA (SD ±4.6dBA) for the weekends. Noise levels were higher during the day than during the night, and higher during the weekdays as compared to the weekends. 332(73.8%) study participants were found to be annoyed due to hospital noise. Annoyance among study participants was significantly associated with LAeq 24 h > 80 dBA during the weekdays [aOR = 5.08 (1.17-22.06)] and LAeq 24 h of 65-80 dBA during the weekends [aOR = 2.71 (1.46-5.01)]. Noise levels in the hospital far exceeded WHO and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines recommended for indoor hospital noise, as well as the national guidelines for sensitive zones. Almost three-fourth of the study participants were annoyed due to hospital noise. Significant association was found between annoyance among staff and higher noise levels of their workplace. Similar studies need to be conducted in hospitals across India to generate evidence on the current situtation and identify solutions.

The Built Environment and Pediatric Health

Buildings, parks, and roads are all elements of the "built environment," which can be described as the human-made structures that comprise the neighborhoods and communities where people live, work, learn, and recreate (https://www.epa.gov/smm/basic-information-about-built-environment). The design of communities where children and adolescents live, learn, and play has a profound impact on their health. Moreover, the policies and practices that determine community design and the built environment are a root cause of disparities in the social determinants of health that contribute to health inequity. An understanding of the links between the built environment and pediatric health will help to inform pediatricians' and other pediatric health professionals' care for patients and advocacy on their behalf. This technical report describes the range of pediatric physical and mental health conditions influenced by the built environment, as well as historical and persistent effects of the built environment on health disparities. The accompanying policy statement outlines community design solutions that can improve pediatric health and health equity, including opportunities for pediatricians and the health care sector to incorporate this knowledge in patient care, as well as to play a role in advancing a health-promoting built environment for all children and families.

Silence and its effects on the autonomic nervous system: A systematic review

This systematic review explores the influence of silence on the autonomic nervous system. The Polyvagal Theory has been used as a reference model to describe the autonomic nervous system by explaining its role in emotional regulation, social engagement, and adaptive physiological responses. PubMed, Scopus, PsycInfo, EMBASE, and Google Scholar were systematically searched up until July 2023 for relevant studies. The literature search yielded 511 results, and 37 studies were eventually included in this review. Silence affects the autonomic nervous system differently based on whether it is inner or outer silence. Inner silence enhances activity of the ventral vagus, favoring social engagement, and reducing sympathetic nervous system activity and physiological stress. Outer silence, conversely, can induce a heightened state of alertness, potentially triggering vagal brake removal and sympathetic nervous system activation, though with training, it can foster inner silence, preventing such activation. The autonomic nervous system response to silence can also be influenced by other factors such as context, familiarity with silence, presence and quality of outer noise, and empathy.

Indoor soundscape in primary school classroomsa)

Soundscape research on indoor environments is emerging as a topic to be addressed for the design of supportive, healthier, and more comfortable spaces. Only a few studies so far addressed the context of educational buildings, mainly focusing on high schools and universities. This pilot study uses questionnaires based on pictorial scales to investigate the indoor soundscape of classrooms for primary school children (n = 130; 8-10 years old). Perceived loudness and the affective dimensions of pleasantness and arousal were explored. Besides the actual soundscape, the children's ideal soundscape was investigated as well. The results of the study indicate that the most frequent sounds in classrooms are generated by the students themselves (voices, movements) followed by the traffic. The urban context of the school modulates the children's perception when windows are open to ensure natural ventilation. Pleasantness is associated with students' age, perceived loudness, and frequency of children's voices in nearby classrooms. The frequency of hearing indoor sounds (children's voices) and sirens affects students' arousal. Our results indicate that children at school are mostly exposed to unpleasant sounds, whereas their preferred ones are music and nature-related ones. The findings have implications for the design of positive and inclusive learning environments.

Noise Pollution and Associated Hearing Loss in a Metropolitan City-a Preliminary Report

To measure the amount of noise produced in busy parts of a metropolitan and also to assess the audiological status of the civilians exposed to such noise. Cross-sectional study for one year between June 2017 and May 2018 was conducted. Noise was measured in four busy parts of an urban city with a digital sound level meter. People involved in various occupations in the busy parts for more than one year within the age range of 15-45 years were included. Maximum noise level recorded was 106.4 dBA in Koyembedu. Average noise was around 70-85 dBA in Chennai. Totally 100 people were subjected to audiological assessment (69 Males; 31 Females). Among them 93% had hearing loss. Hearing loss was almost equal both in sexes. Sensory hearing loss was the major type (83%). All areas were almost equally affected with maximum (100%) being affected in Annanagar and Koyembedu. The right ear was more affected than the left. All age groups were affected among which the working age group (36-45) years was most affected. The unskilled occupation group was most affected (100%). There was a positive relation between noise levels and hearing loss. Duration of exposure did not have positive correlation with hearing loss. Noise pollution and its induced hearing loss was more prevalent and increased in all four areas. As hearing loss due to noise pollution is predominant as observed in the study, awareness about noise pollution and its effects among the community is a necessity.

Deep Learning-Based Road Traffic Noise Annoyance Assessment

With the development of urban road traffic, road noise pollution is becoming a public concern. Controlling and reducing the harm caused by traffic noise pollution have been the hot spots of traffic noise management research. The subjective annoyance level of traffic noise has become one of the most important measurements for evaluating road traffic pollution. There are subjective experimental methods and objective prediction methods to assess the annoyance level of traffic noise: the subjective experimental method usually uses social surveys or listening experiments in laboratories to directly assess the subjective annoyance level, which is highly reliable, but often requires a lot of time and effort. The objective method extracts acoustic features and predicts the annoyance level through model mapping. Combining the above two methods, this paper proposes a deep learning model-based objective annoyance evaluation method, which directly constructs the mapping between the noise and annoyance level based on the listening experimental results and realizes the rapid evaluation of the noise annoyance level. The experimental results show that this method has reduced the mean absolute error by 30% more than the regression algorithm and neural network, while its performance is insufficient in the annoyance interval where samples are lacking. To solve this problem, the algorithm adopts transfer learning to further improve the robustness with a 30% mean absolute error reduction and a 5% improvement in the correlation coefficient between the true results and predicted results. Although the model trained on college students' data has some limitations, it is still a useful attempt to apply deep learning to noise assessment.

The Acoustic Environment and University Students' Satisfaction with the Online Education Method during the COVID-19 Lockdown

The acoustic environment has been pointed out as a possible distractor during student activities in the online academic modality; however, it has not been specifically studied, nor has it been studied in relation to parameters frequently used in academic-quality evaluations. The objective of this study is to characterize the acoustic environment and relate it to students' satisfaction with the online learning modality. For that, three artificial neural networks were calculated, using as target variables the students' satisfaction and the noise interference with autonomous and synchronous activities, using acoustic variables as predictors. The data were obtained during the COVID-19 lockdown, through an online survey addressed to the students of the Universidad de Las Américas (Quito, Ecuador). Results show that the noise interference with comprehensive reading or with making exams and that the frequency of noises, which made the students lose track of the lesson, were relevant factors for students' satisfaction. The perceived loudness also had a remarkable influence on engaging in autonomous and synchronous activities. The performance of the models on students' satisfaction and on the noise interference with autonomous and synchronous activities was satisfactory given that it was built only with acoustic variables, with correlation coefficients of 0.567, 0.853, and 0.865, respectively.

The actual and ideal indoor soundscape for work, relaxation, physical and sexual activity at home: A case study during the COVID-19 lockdown in London

The period of home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic made the importance of a high-quality surrounding environment even more evident than before. Several studies have been carried out to assess the (negative) impacts of noise on annoyance, particularly whilst working from home (WFH). The present study takes a step further by (1) investigating the positive and negative impacts of the "actual" acoustic environment on a range of activities, i.e., WFH, relaxation, physical, and sexual activities, and (2) identifying the characteristics of an "ideal" indoor soundscape. The study is based on the qualitative analysis of verbal descriptions collected from open-ended questions included in a survey administered in January 2021 to 464 respondents living in London, during the COVID-19 lockdown. The range of impacts in the actual scenario varied from no effect on task execution, to disruption, distraction, concern of disturbing others or being heard. Positive impacts included support of concentration, relaxation, motivation, freedom of sound expression, feeling of being connected to the surroundings and comforted by the presence of others, according to mechanisms described in the study. Negative appraisal could trigger coping strategies (e.g., controlling windows, playing music, wearing headphones) and behavioural changes (e.g., lowering the volume of the voice or music, muting oneself during call, changing workout type) that could in turn limit or enhance the freedom of behaviour, affect or foster wellbeing. Negative impacts were most frequently reported on WFH (by 55% of the participants), followed by relaxation activities (40.6%), sexual activities (30.1%), and home workout (20.1%). The ideal soundscape was described as a quiet, well-sound insulated environment, which guarantees access to positive sounds (i.e., natural sounds, music, urban background), thus resulting in privacy, intimacy, and a place where to express themselves without noise-related constraints. The study complements literature findings on housing design directions in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, by providing further evidence on the impacts of poor sound insulation at home, the potential benefits of nature-based solutions for positive indoor soundscapes, and opportunities for an activity-based design of domestic environments, inclusive of a broader set of home uses and household compositions.

Noise Indicators Relating to Non-Auditory Health Effects in Children-A Systematic Literature Review

A systematic literature review was conducted to investigate which objective noise indicators related to various noise sources (i.e., aircraft, road-traffic, and ambient noise) are the best predictors of non-auditory health-effects in children. These relationships are discussed via a conceptual framework, taking into account main parameters such as the type of noise source, the exposure locations and their environments, the type of noise indicators, the children's mediating factors, and the type of non-auditory health effects. In terms of the procedure, four literature databases were screened and data was extracted on study design, types of noise sources, assessment method, health-based outcomes and confounders, as well as their associations. The quality of the studies was also assessed. The inclusion criteria focused on both indoor and outdoor environments in educational buildings and dwellings, considering that children spend most of their time there. From the 3337 uniquely collected articles, 36 articles were included in this review based on the defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. From the included literature, it was seen that noise exposure, assessed by energetic indicators, has significant associations with non-auditory health effects: psychophysiological, cognitive development, mental health and sleep effects. Percentile and event-based indicators provided significant associations to cognitive performance tasks and well-being dimension aspects.

Noise complaint patterns in New York City from January 2010 through February 2021: Socioeconomic disparities and COVID-19 exacerbations

BACKGROUND

Excessive environmental noise exposure and noise annoyance have been linked to adverse physical and mental health outcomes. Although socioeconomic disparities in acoustically measured and geospatially estimated noise have been established, less is known about disparities in noise complaints, one of the most common sources of distress reported to local municipalities. Furthermore, although some studies have posited urban quieting during the COVID-19 pandemic, little empirical work has probed this and probed noise complaints during the pandemic.

OBJECTIVES

Using over 4 million noise complaints from the New York City (NYC) 311 database, we quantified census tract-level socioeconomic disparities in noise complaints since 2010 and examined how such disparities changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

Using data from January 2010 through February 2020, we fit linear mixed-effects models, estimating monthly tract-level noise complaints by the proportion of residents who were low-income, time in months since January 2010, categorical month, their interactions, and potential confounds, such as total population and population density. To estimate COVID-19 pandemic effects, we included additional data from March 2020 through February 2021 and additional interactions between proportion low-income, month of year, and an indicator variable for COVID-19 pandemic onset in March 2020.

RESULTS

Census tracts with a higher proportion of low-income residents reported more monthly noise complaints and this increased over time (time × month × proportion low-income interaction p-values < .0001 for all months), particularly in warmer months. Socioeconomic disparities in noise complaints were exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic (month × proportion low-income × pandemic era interaction p-values < .0001 for March through November), also in a seasonal manner.

DISCUSSION

Since 2010, noise complaints have increased the most in the most economically distressed communities, particularly in warmer seasons. This disparity was particularly exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, contrary to some theories of urban quieting. Community-based interventions to ameliorate noise and noise annoyance, both public health hazards, are needed in underserved communities.

Differences in the Course of Physiological Functions and in Subjective Evaluations in Connection With Listening to the Sound of a Chainsaw and to the Sounds of a Forest

We explored differences in the course of physiological functions and in the subjective evaluations in response to listening to a 7-min recording of the sound of a chainsaw and to the sounds of a forest. A Biofeedback 2000x-pert apparatus was used for continual recording of the following physiological functions in 50 examined persons: abdominal and thoracic respiration and their amplitude and frequency, electrodermal activity (skin conductance level), finger skin temperature, heart rate (pulse, blood volume pulse and blood volume pulse amplitude) and heart rate variability (HRV). The group of 25 subjects listening to the sound of a chainsaw exhibited significantly lower values of blood volume pulse amplitude, lower values in peak alpha frequency HRV and higher values in peak high-frequency HRV. In the time interval from 80 s to 209 s, in which the two groups showed the greatest differences, lower values of blood volume pulse were also recorded while listening to the sound of a chainsaw. Listening to the sound of a chainsaw is associated with a greater feeling of fatigue and higher tension, while listening to the sounds of a forest is even considered to elicit feelings of improved learning abilities. The assumption that listening to the sound of a chainsaw results in higher defense arousal was confirmed. The greater variability which is exhibited by a majority of physiological functions while listening to the forest sounds may also be an innovative finding. It seems that there are two types of arousal (sympathetic and parasympathetic) following from correlations between physiological functions and subjective assessment. Low values of blood volume pulse amplitude are especially important from the health perspective. They correspond to the amount of vasoconstriction which occurs in the endothelial dysfunction related to increased mortality, incidence of myocardial infarction, leg atherosclerosis and topically to COVID-19.

Religious Belief-Related Factors Enhance the Impact of Soundscapes in Han Chinese Buddhist Temples on Mental Health

In contemporary society, mental health issues have received increasing attention. Moreover, how people perceive the acoustic environment affects mental health. In religious places, the unique religious soundscape, composed of the acoustic environment and sounds, has an obvious effect on mental health. In China, Han Chinese Buddhism has a long history and is currently the religion with the largest number of believers. The soundscape of temples has always been an important component of creating a Buddhist atmosphere. For this study, questionnaires were distributed to believers and tourists inside and outside several well-known Han Chinese Buddhist temples in China to analyse the relationship between evaluations of temple soundscapes (including the overall acoustic environment and preferences for typical sounds) and mental health and the role of religious belief-related factors in this relationship. The results indicated that for the respondents, the overall acoustic environment of Buddhist temples was significantly correlated with mental health and that a preference for three sounds in Buddhist temples, i.e., bells, wind chimes and chanting sounds, was significantly correlated with mental health. Among religious belief-related factors, attitudes toward Buddhist thought, frequency of temple visitation and purpose for visiting temples can affect the correlation between personal evaluations of temple soundscapes and mental health. For people who partially believe in Buddhist thought, people who visit Buddhist temples twice or less per year, or people who visit temples for tourism purposes, the correlations between evaluations of the overall acoustic environment and mental health are higher than for people without these religious characteristics. For people who fully believe in Buddhist thought or who visit temples neither to worship Buddha nor for tourism purposes, the correlations between the preferences for bells and wind chimes and mental health are higher than for people without these religious characteristics. For people who partially believe in Buddhist thought, the correlation between the preference for chanting and mental health is higher than for people with other attitudes toward Buddhist thought.

A study on the assessment of traffic noise induced annoyance and awareness levels about the potential health effects among residents living around a noise-sensitive area

The present cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for traffic noise-induced annoyance and also assess the awareness levels among the exposed population concerning the health impacts caused by traffic noise. Field measurements were made to validate the application of the standard noise models, which were later used to present the acoustical environment and assess the exposure level around a super-speciality hospital surrounded by a residential zone. Results from the noise maps and façade maps revealed that the area was exposed to noise levels exceeding the upper safe limits by more than 10 dB(A). The effect of exposure in the form of annoyance and the awareness level were evaluated using a questionnaire survey in a sample of 565 residents. Attention questions were incorporated in the questionnaire, and the awareness level was evaluated using the mean awareness index score. Respondents living in noisy areas were having a higher risk for annoyance as compared to those living in quiet areas (OR = 4.06; 95% CI = 2.79-5.88). Reporting poor sleep quality, being sensitive to noise, and noise perception at home were the significant risk factors for annoyance. Most of the respondents were classified as having no/little awareness about serious health ailments caused by traffic noise. Lower awareness levels, despite a higher literacy rate and a higher percentage of the young population, imply that there is a need for undertaking mass awareness programmes so that the impacts can be reduced to a minimum, if not eliminated.

Effect of Noise on Sleep and Autonomic Activity in Children according to Source

BACKGROUND

Noise has been a major issue in children due to its effect on emotional symptoms and sleep problems. The present study investigated the effect of noise on sleep and autonomic activity in children according to three variables, namely, road traffic noise, aircraft noise, and noise sensitivity (NS).

METHODS

The study is epidemiological in nature. A total of 474 subjects of four elementary schools were evaluated in conjunction with the 2014 noise map data gathered from two metropolitan regions, Seoul and Ulsan, in South Korea. Each subject completed the children's sleep habits questionnaire, and heart rate variability (HRV) was recorded. Analysis of covariance was performed using monthly income as a covariate.

RESULTS

Aircraft noise was associated with night waking (P = 0.047), whereas no significant association was observed between sleep and road traffic noise. After stratifying by NS, no significant results were obtained for road traffic noise. However, high levels of aircraft noise in the high-NS group were associated with high degrees of bedtime resistance (P = 0.049). In terms of HRV, no significant difference was observed in the results between groups.

CONCLUSION

Road traffic noise did not significantly alter sleep or autonomic activity in children, whereas aircraft noise exerted a negative effect on sleep. The findings suggest that the impact of noise on sleep in children varies depending on noise sources.

Spectral content (colour) of noise exposure affects work efficiency

Introduction:

As part of an effort to enhance the efficiency of workers, experiments relating to three types of noise exposure were conducted. Previous studies have proved that pink noise can cause a brain wave to reach a lower potential. In this study, we utilized physical methods, in cognitive experiments, to understand the impacts that three colour noises have on working efficiency.

Subjects and Methods:

All 22 participants were exposed to a sound environment of quiet, red, pink and white noises respectively. After a laboratory experiment, details of psychomotor speed, continuous performance, executive function and working memory were recorded.

Results:

Red, pink and white noises were significantly positive in comparison with the quiet environment of the psychomotor speed test. As for the continuous performance test, pink noise gave the only significantly positive result. Red, pink and white noise resulted in a better executive function test. Red and pink noise showed significantly positive improvement, while white noise was significantly positive in comparison with the quiet environment of the working memory test. In addition, the results from the comfort questionnaires showed that red and pink noise increase the possibility of better judgment, implementation, and overall environment.

Conclusion:

At present time, it is considered that noise has negative effects on hearing and health. However, experimental results show that certain noise can enhance environmental comfort. It is feasible, in the future, to use knowledge of colour noises to improve productivity in a workplace with a healthy environment.

Effect of tonal noise and task difficulty on electroencephalography and cognitive performance

Objectives. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of tonal noise and task difficulty on electroencephalography (EEG) and cognitive performance. Methods. Twelve healthy volunteers participated in the present study. Four noise signals were generated by four prominence tone levels (0, 2, 5 and 9) at background noise levels of 55 dBA and frequency of 500 Hz using the Test Tone Generator from Esser Audio (USA). The participants were asked to perform the tasks with low, moderate and high levels of difficulty while exposed to the noises in an acoustics laboratory. The values of reaction time, correct rate and missed numbers were recorded during each step. Moreover, the EEG signals were measured. Results. The results showed that higher tone level and more task difficulty significantly decreased the correct rate, and increased the miss numbers. However, no significant effect was observed on reaction times. Furthermore, tone level and task difficulty significantly increased activity of the θ and β bands and decreased activity of the α band. Conclusion. Task difficulty and tone level could significantly affect the parameters of performance and the activity of EEG bands. Therefore, noise control can help sustain appropriate performance.

Negative responses to urban residential noise as a social rebound effect of increasing population density: Legislative challenges and auditory territoriality

Populations in cities are projected to increase globally, densifying urban residential environments with both positive and negative effects. Positive social effects are offset by negative health effects however; urban residential noise has been identified in a large number of studies as a significant contributor to social unrest as well as a risk to physiological and psychological health caused by stress, making this topic highly relevant to the discussion on sustainability urban growth. Focusing on the psychological rebound effect of urban residential noise, this paper attempts to explain how and why auditory aspects of the spatial environment negatively influences urban residents. To provide context and to indicate areas in need of improvement, the legislative challenges to be faced are considered, with Sweden as a prime example of a first world country grappling with the effects of increased urban density. Existing building legislation regarding residential noise is considered in relation to studies investigating the effects of residential noise on psychological and physiological health, outlining areas in need of future development. Then, health responses to residential noise are placed in a broader evolutionary context by considering how these effects might be the result of triggered evolutionary mechanisms for keeping population size optimal. Further, the spatial dimension of hearing is discussed with reference to theories of territoriality in environmental psychology and the concept of auditory territoriality is described.

Exposure to the road traffic noise in an urban complex in Greece: the quantification of healthy life years lost due to noise-induced annoyance and noise-induced sleep disturbances

In the recent years, the environmental noise is a global issue of great concern. Especially, it is considered to be one of the most deleterious environmental risk factors for the human health and well-being in urban areas. In this study, we focus on the major source of the transportation noise in the modern-day urbanized societies, which is the road traffic noise. The study was performed in the urban complex in Thessaloniki-Neapoli in Greece, and the estimation of the road traffic noise levels was based on the CoRTN (Calculation of Road Traffic Noise) prediction method. In addition, we estimated the EBD (environmental burden of disease), in terms of DALYs (disability-adjusted life years), due to the annoyance and sleep disturbances associated with the exposure to road traffic noise. The estimation of the EBD was based on the strategic noise mapping in Thessaloniki-Neapoli as well as on the guidance document produced by the WHO (World Health Organization) for the quantitative assessment on the humans' health consequences of the environmental noise. Above all, the results revealed the magnitude of the health damage caused by the transportation noise.

Modified Filtered-X Hierarchical LMS Algorithm with Sequential Partial Updates for Active Noise Control

In the field of active noise control (ANC), a popular method is the modified filtered-x LMS algorithm. However, it has two drawbacks: its computational complexity higher than that of the conventional FxLMS, and its convergence rate that could still be improved. Therefore, we propose an adaptive strategy which aims at speeding up the convergence rate of an ANC system dealing with periodic disturbances. This algorithm consists in combining the organization of the filter weights in a hierarchy of subfilters of shorter length and their sequential partial updates (PU). Our contribution is threefold: (1) we provide the theoretical basis of the existence of a frequency-dependent parameter, called gain in step-size. (2) The theoretical upper bound of the step-size is compared with the limit obtained from simulations. (3) Additional experiments show that this strategy results in a fast algorithm with a computational complexity close to that of the conventional FxLMS.

Let the Children Listen: A First Approximation to the Sound Environment Assessment of Children through a Soundwalk Approach

The urban sound environment is one of the layers that characterizes a city, and several methodologies are used for its assessment, including the soundwalk approach. However, this approach has been tested mainly with adults. In the work presented here, the aim is to investigate a soundwalk methodology for children, analyzing the sound environment of five different sites of Gothenburg, Sweden, from children's view-point, giving them the opportunity to take action as an active part of society. Both individual assessment of the sound environment and acoustic data were collected. The findings suggested that among significant results, children tended to rank the sound environment as slightly better when lower levels of background noise were present ( L A 90 ). Moreover, traffic dominance ratings appeared as the best predictor among the studied sound sources: when traffic dominated as a sound source, the children rated the sound environment as less good. Additionally, traffic volume appeared as a plausible predictor for sound environment quality judgments, since the higher the traffic volume, the lower the quality of the sound environment. The incorporation of children into urban sound environment research may be able to generate new results in terms of children's understanding of their sound environment. Moreover, sound environment policies can be developed from and for children.

Perceived pathways between tourism gentrification and health: A participatory Photovoice study in the Gòtic neighborhood in Barcelona

Tourism gentrification is as process of urban change and neighborhoods transformation, according to the needs of affluent visitors, increasing in some global cities. However, the link between tourism gentrification and resident's health is still an understudied topic. Using Photovoice, a participatory action research method, the aim of this study was to identify the perceived pathways that underlie the relationship between tourism gentrification and health among residents of Gòtic neighborhood, in Barcelona. The study was conducted between January 2018 and January 2019. Thirteen residents, recruited from two neighborhood organizations, took photographs of how tourism gentrification of the neighborhood was affecting their health. Participants analyzed and critically discussed their photographs in small group sessions. Through a consensus-building process, participants categorized 35 photographs and identified 7 emerging categories acknowledged as possible pathways between tourism gentrification and health, in Gòtic neighborhood: 1) decline of social networks; 2) loss of identity; 3) environmental changes; 4) pollution; 5) changes in services and stores; 6) property speculation/eviction and; 7) activism by residents. This Photovoice study recognizes important pathways underlying the relationship between tourism gentrification in the Gòtic neighborhood and the health of its residents, by altering the built environment, the social environment or psychological factors. Among them, six pathways were related to negative health outcomes, both physical and mental (respiratory diseases; worse nutrition habits; sleep deprivation; stress, anxiety and depression). 'Activism by residents' was perceived to buffer the negative health effects of living in a touristic area. The study also provides recommendations to tackle this serious urban health issue.

Impact of Cement Dust Pollution on the Surface of Sound-Absorbing Panels on Their Acoustic Properties

The publication presents a comparison of the sound absorption test results of a perforated wall cassette filled with mineral wool for various degree of cement dust pollution. Cement dust should be understood here as dust created during the production of cement and during the milling and dispatch of finished products. If the partitions in production plants are made of sound-absorbing cassettes or additional sound-absorbing elements made of perforated cassettes are applied, we must know how dust can change sound-absorbing properties of the cassettes. Thus, one has to consider whether the use of sound-absorbing perforated cassettes is appropriate if sound-absorbing parameters change over time due to dust. To determine the impact of dust-covered perforation on sound-absorbing parameters, tests were performed for four variants having different level of pollution. The tests involved ‘clean’ and then dust-covered cassettes, each time increasing the amount of cement dust on the perforations. Sound absorption parameters of the cassettes were tested in the reverberation chamber for individual variants. Test results indicate the loss of sound absorption of the cassettes only when they are heavily polluted. Then the reduction of the single-number sound absorption index α_w is 50%. Using computer simulation, we analyzed how the change of sound-absorbing parameters of the cassettes would influence the change of noise reduction in the production hall. The results of the analysis demonstrate a very effective reduction of noise level of 14 dB by the application of clean cassettes. The reduction value for the dirtiest cassettes was 6 dB.

[Nighttime transportation noise annoyance in Germany: personal and regional differences in the German National Cohort Study]

BACKGROUND

Noise annoyance is associated with adverse health-related conditions and reduced wellbeing. Thereby, subjective noise annoyance depends on the objective noise exposure and is modified by personal and regional factors.

OBJECTIVE

How many participants of the German National Cohort Study (GNC; NAKO Gesundheitsstudie) were annoyed by transportation noise during nighttime and what factors were associated with noise annoyance?

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This cross-sectional analysis included 86,080 participants from 18 study centers, examined from 2014 to 2017. We used multinomial logistic regression to investigate associations of personal and regional factors to noise annoyance (slightly/moderately or strongly/extremely annoyed vs. not annoyed) mutually adjusting for all factors in the model.

RESULTS

Two thirds of participants were not annoyed by transportation noise during nighttime and one in ten reported strong/extreme annoyance with highest percentages for the study centers Berlin-Mitte and Leipzig. The strongest associations were seen for factors related to the individual housing situation like the bedroom being positioned towards a major road (OR of being slightly/moderately annoyed: 4.26 [95% CI: 4.01;4.52]; OR of being strongly/extremely annoyed: 13.36 [95% CI: 12.47;14.32]) compared to a garden/inner courtyard. Participants aged 40-60 years and those in low- and medium-income groups reported greater noise annoyance compared to younger or older ones and those in the high-income group.

CONCLUSION

In this study from Germany, transportation noise annoyance during nighttime varied by personal and regional factors.

Effects of sound environment on the sleep of college students in China

Chinese college students reside primarily in four-person bedrooms and even six-person bedrooms, where the sound from roommates may affect their sleep. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to investigate the effects of different sound sources and sound levels on sleep for college students in China. Based on sleep quality measurements, acoustic environment measurements, and a questionnaire survey with 90 participants in a typical residence hall in Harbin city, China, the results are as following: First, 68.89% of college students experienced sleep deprivation, and indoor noise was the most influential environmental factor among 15 disruptors that disturbed 50% of college students. Second, the number of occupants per room was a significant factor affecting the background sound level of sleep, which was highest when the number of occupants was two, and lowest when the number was five. Third, deep sleep time and rapid eye movements (REM) sleep time decreased 1.7 min and 1.4 min per 1 dBA (decibel with A-weight), with R² = 0.352 and 0.332, respectively (p < .001). In terms of the effect of sound sources on sleep, sleep was mostly disturbed by roommate conversation (77.42%), and noise caused by roommate sleep-related activities was the most common source of activities (67.74%). The present study can provide guidelines to help enhance the sleep quality of Chinese college students through improvements in the sound environment.

How residents in multifamily housing cope with neighbour noise: The role of attitude towards the neighbours

AIMS

Residents in multifamily housing are considerably exposed to neighbour noise, which can lead to neighbour disputes and even criminal violence. This study investigated how residents' attitudes towards noisy neighbours develop and the role of such attitudes in their reactions to neighbour noise.

METHODS

In-depth interviews were carried out with 57 South Korean residents. The data were collected and analyzed using grounded theory methods. Concepts and categories were identified through open coding and axial coding, respectively.

RESULTS

Residents' attitudes towards the neighbours (i.e., noise source) were grouped into friends, enemies, and strangers/acquaintances. Each attitude formation was influenced by the individual's past experience/history, the attitude shown by the neighbours, and the predictability/certainty of noise exposure. Different attitudes towards the neighbours resulted in different cognitive and behavioural copings.

CONCLUSION

Given that the neighbour noise issue involves the interpersonal relationship between neighbours, the findings extend the scope of existing understanding. The paper suggests that further investigation into coping strategies would have practical implementations for reducing conflict arising from neighbour disputes.

Environmental noise exposure modifies astrocyte morphology in hippocampus of young male rats

Background:

Chronic exposure to noise induces changes on the central nervous system of exposed animals. Those changes affect not only the auditory system but also other structures indirectly related to audition. The hippocampus of young animals represents a potential target for these effects because of its essential role in individuals’ adaptation to environmental challenges.

Objective:

The aim of the present study was to evaluate hippocampus vulnerability, assessing astrocytic morphology in an experimental model of environmental noise (EN) applied to rats in pre-pubescent stage.

Materials and Methods:

Weaned Wistar male rats were subjected to EN adapted to the rats’ audiogram for 15 days, 24 h daily. Once completed, plasmatic corticosterone (CORT) concentration was quantified, and immunohistochemistry for glial fibrillary acidic protein was taken in hippocampal DG, CA3, and CA1 subareas. Immunopositive cells and astrocyte arborizations were counted and compared between groups.

Results:

The rats subjected to noise exhibited enlarged length of astrocytes arborizations in all hippocampal subareas. Those changes were accompanied by a marked rise in serum CORT levels.

Conclusions:

These findings confirm hippocampal vulnerability to EN and suggest that glial cells may play an important role in the adaptation of developing the participants to noise exposure.

A Systematic Review of the Epidemiologic Literature Assessing Health Outcomes in Populations Living near Oil and Natural Gas Operations: Study Quality and Future Recommendations

A systematic method was used to review the existing epidemiologic literature and determine the state of the scientific evidence for potential adverse health outcomes in populations living near oil and natural gas (ONG) operations in the United States. The review utilized adapted systematic review frameworks from the medical and environmental health fields, such as Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE), the Navigation Guide, and guidance from the National Toxicology Program’s Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT). The review included 20 epidemiologic studies, with 32 different health outcomes. Studies of populations living near ONG operations provide limited evidence (modest scientific findings that support the outcome, but with significant limitations) of harmful health effects including asthma exacerbations and various self-reported symptoms. Study quality has improved over time and the highest rated studies within this assessment have primarily focused on birth outcomes. Additional high-quality studies are needed to confirm or dispute these correlations.

An Investigation of Soundscape Factors Influencing Perceptions of Square Dancing in Urban Streets: A Case Study in a County Level City in China

Square dancing is a popular music-related group physical exercise for health benefits in China mainly participated by mid-aged women and elderly people. This paper investigates the soundscape and enjoyment of the square dancing in urban streets through a case study in Lichuan, a county level city in southwest China, in December 2017. It examines the impact of gender, age, participation and places on perceptions of square dancing soundscape. Two sites along two main urban streets in the city were selected to conduct onsite investigations where residents spontaneously perform square dancing on a daily basis. Ethnographical observations were conducted to identify the social-physical features and sounds of both sites during the dance and without dance. Sound pressure measurements (LAeq and LAmax) were also conducted under the two conditions. An off-site survey was distributed through the local social media groups to understand residents’ everyday experiences and perceptions of square dancing in the city; 106 responses were received for the off-site survey. T-tests and Chi-squared tests were used for statistical analysis of the survey data. The results show gender does appear to be a factor influencing the regularity of participation in square dancing, with a bias towards more female participants. Participation frequency of square dance has an impact on the enjoyment of square dancing. There is no correlation between the dislike of watching square dancing, or dislike of the music and a desire to restrict locations for square dancing.

A System for Generating Customized Pleasant Pedestrian Routes Based on OpenStreetMap Data

In this work, we present a system that generates customized pedestrian routes entirely based on data from OpenStreetMap (OSM). The system enables users to define to what extent they would like the route to have green areas (e.g., parks, squares, trees), social places (e.g., cafes, restaurants, shops) and quieter streets (i.e., with less road traffic). We present how the greenness, sociability, and quietness factors are defined and extracted from OSM as well as how they are integrated into a routing cost function. We intrinsically evaluate customized routes from one-thousand trips, i.e., origin–destination pairs, and observe that these are, in general, as we intended—slightly longer but significantly more social, greener, and quieter than the respective shortest routes. Based on a survey taken by 156 individuals, we also evaluate the system’s usefulness, usability, controlability, and transparency. The majority of the survey participants agree that the system is useful and easy to use and that it gives them the feeling of being in control regarding the extraction of routes in accordance with their greenness, sociability, and quietness preferences. The survey also provides valuable insights into users requirements and wishes regarding a tool for interactively generating customized pedestrian routes.

Emotions evoked by exposure to footstep noise in residential buildings

In the present study, the effect of footstep noise on emotions was investigated. This study used noise stimulus of human footsteps throughout the study. First, Korean emotion lexicons were collected from narratives of residents living in multi-family housing buildings. The lexicons were then classified into four emotion clusters, with three expressing negative emotions (anger, dislike, and pain) and the fourth depicting empathy. Since self-reported annoyance has long been investigated as one of the major non-auditory responses to noise, annoyance was measured along with affective responses in a laboratory experiment with varying noise levels. The findings revealed that the emotion and noise annoyance experienced by the participants were significantly affected by noise levels. All clusters expressing negative emotions showed strong correlations with noise annoyance, whereas that representing empathy showed the weakest correlation. Noise sensitivity and attitudes to the noise source were observed as possible moderators in emotional responses and annoyance ratings.

Stress experiences in neighborhood and social environments (SENSE): a pilot study to integrate the quantified self with citizen science to improve the built environment and health

BACKGROUND

Identifying elements of one's environment-observable and unobservable-that contribute to chronic stress including the perception of comfort and discomfort associated with different settings, presents many methodological and analytical challenges. However, it also presents an opportunity to engage the public in collecting and analyzing their own geospatial and biometric data to increase community member understanding of their local environments and activate potential environmental improvements. In this first-generation project, we developed a methodology to integrate geospatial technology with biometric sensing within a previously developed, evidence-based "citizen science" protocol, called "Our Voice." Participants used a smartphone/tablet-based application, called the Discovery Tool (DT), to collect photos and audio narratives about elements of the built environment that contributed to or detracted from their well-being. A wrist-worn sensor (Empatica E4) was used to collect time-stamped data, including 3-axis accelerometry, skin temperature, blood volume pressure, heart rate, heartbeat inter-beat interval, and electrodermal activity (EDA). Open-source R packages were employed to automatically organize, clean, geocode, and visualize the biometric data.

RESULTS

In total, 14 adults (8 women, 6 men) were successfully recruited to participate in the investigation. Participants recorded 174 images and 124 audio files with the DT. Among captured images with a participant-determined positive or negative rating (n = 131), over half were positive (58.8%, n = 77). Within-participant positive/negative rating ratios were similar, with most participants rating 53.0% of their images as positive (SD 21.4%). Significant spatial clusters of positive and negative photos were identified using the Getis-Ord Gi* local statistic, and significant associations between participant EDA and distance to DT photos, and street and land use characteristics were also observed with linear mixed models. Interactive data maps allowed participants to (1) reflect on data collected during the neighborhood walk, (2) see how EDA levels changed over the course of the walk in relation to objective neighborhood features (using basemap and DT app photos), and (3) compare their data to other participants along the same route.

CONCLUSIONS

Participants identified a variety of social and environmental features that contributed to or detracted from their well-being. This initial investigation sets the stage for further research combining qualitative and quantitative data capture and interpretation to identify objective and perceived elements of the built environment influence our embodied experience in different settings. It provides a systematic process for simultaneously collecting multiple kinds of data, and lays a foundation for future statistical and spatial analyses in addition to more in-depth interpretation of how these responses vary within and between individuals.

Effect of Traffic Noise and Relaxations Sounds on Pedestrian Walking Speed

Exposure to noise in everyday urban life is considered to be an environmental stressor. A specific outcome of reactions to environmental stress is a fast pace of life that also includes a faster pedestrian walking speed. The present study examined the effect of listening to annoying acoustical stimuli (traffic noise) compared with relaxation sounds (forest birdsong) on walking speed in a real outdoor urban environment. The participants (N = 83) walked along an urban route of 1.8 km. They listened to either traffic noise or forest birdsong, or they walked without listening to any acoustical stimuli in the control condition. The results showed that participants listening to traffic noise walked significantly faster on the route than both the participants listening to forest birdsong sounds and the participants in the control condition. Participants who listened to forest birdsong walked slightly slower than those under control conditions; however, this difference was not significant. Analysis of the walk experience showed that participants who listened to forest birdsong during the walk liked the route more than those who listened to traffic sounds. The study demonstrated that exposure to traffic noise led to an immediate increase in walking speed. It was also shown that exposure to noise may influence participants’ perception of an environment. The same environment may be more liked in the absence of noise or in the presence of relaxation sounds. The study also documented the positive effect of listening to various kinds of relaxation sounds while walking in an outdoor environment with traffic noise.

The acute effect of exposure to noise on cardiovascular parameters in young adults

Objective:

In this study, an experiment was conducted to examine whether noise exposure produced acute changes in cardiovascular responses, and whether these responses differed based on psycho-acoustic parameters to noises of low to high intensity.

Methods:

Thirty healthy subjects were enrolled. Three industrial noises were binaurally presented with a supra-aural earphone. The sound levels of noise were <55, 75, and 90 dB. Each noise was continued for 20 min and the electrocardiogram was simultaneously recorded.

Results:

The results showed a statistically significant increase in systolic blood pressure (SBP) at the 90 dB sound level. The study estimated a blood pressure increase of 0.85 mmHg/10 dB and 0.71 mmHg/10 dB in SBP and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), respectively. These results suggest that exposure to noise, particularly high-frequency noise, negatively impacts blood pressure. The tonality and fluctuation strength of noise especially impacts systolic blood pressure.

Conclusions:

The psycho-acoustic parameters of noise should be considered when evaluating the impact of noise exposure.

The Adverse Effects of Environmental Noise Exposure on Oxidative Stress and Cardiovascular Risk

Epidemiological studies have provided evidence that traffic noise exposure is linked to cardiovascular diseases such as arterial hypertension, myocardial infarction, and stroke. Noise is a nonspecific stressor that activates the autonomous nervous system and endocrine signaling. According to the noise reaction model introduced by Babisch and colleagues, chronic low levels of noise can cause so-called nonauditory effects, such as disturbances of activity, sleep, and communication, which can trigger a number of emotional responses, including annoyance and subsequent stress. Chronic stress in turn is associated with cardiovascular risk factors, comprising increased blood pressure and dyslipidemia, increased blood viscosity and blood glucose, and activation of blood clotting factors, in animal models and humans. Persistent chronic noise exposure increases the risk of cardiometabolic diseases, including arterial hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, and stroke. Recently, we demonstrated that aircraft noise exposure during nighttime can induce endothelial dysfunction in healthy subjects and is even more pronounced in coronary artery disease patients. Importantly, impaired endothelial function was ameliorated by acute oral treatment with the antioxidant vitamin C, suggesting that excessive production of reactive oxygen species contributes to this phenomenon. More recently, we introduced a novel animal model of aircraft noise exposure characterizing the underlying molecular mechanisms leading to noise-dependent adverse oxidative stress-related effects on the vasculature. With the present review, we want to provide an overview of epidemiological, translational clinical, and preclinical noise research addressing the nonauditory, adverse effects of noise exposure with focus on oxidative stress. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 28, 873-908.

Association between environmental noise and subjective symptoms related to cardiovascular diseases among elderly individuals in Japan

Noise in housing environments may increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs); however, the most significant sources of noise among elderly individuals remain poorly understood. A nationwide cross-sectional study comprised of 6,181 elderly people (age ≥ 65 years) was conducted using a web-based self-reported questionnaire in 2014. Questions pertaining to CVD-related subjective symptoms within the past year addressed symptoms of chest pain, disturbances in pulse, acute impaired tongue movement, limb paralysis, and foot pain or numbness during walking. Questions concerning noise included awakening during the night due to noise, automobile, neighborhood, construction, railway, and aircraft noise. The multivariable analyses revealed that all symptoms were significantly associated with awakening during the night due to noise. Automobile, construction, railway, and aircraft noise were significantly associated with more CVD-related symptoms at nighttime than at daytime. Our results suggest that noise at nighttime is an important risk factor for CVDs. Although several different sources of environmental noise, including automobile, neighborhood, construction, railway, and aircraft noise were found to be significantly associated with CVD-related symptoms, the strongest association was observed for construction noise, followed by neighborhood and automobile noise. The adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for construction noise at nighttime were 1.12 (1.06–1.19) with disturbances in pulse, 1.21 (1.08–1.35) in acute impaired tongue movement, 1.25 (1.15–1.36) in limb paralysis, and 1.19 (1.12–1.28) in foot pain or numbness during walking. The associations with railway and aircraft noise were found to be weaker than those with automobile, neighborhood, and construction noise. Our study suggests that CVD-related symptoms may exhibit a greater association with construction, neighborhood, and automobile noise than with railway and aircraft noise.

Analysis of Subway Interior Noise at Peak Commuter Time

Background and Objectives

Although mass transit systems are convenient and efficient for urban people, little attention has been paid to the potential hearing hazard from their noise. The purpose of the current study was to measure and analyze levels of subway interior noise at peak commuter times and to provide information about commuters’ daily dose of noise exposure.

Materials and Methods

To measure the subway interior noise, nine subway lines inside Seoul (i.e., lines 1-9) and six lines surrounding the capital city area (i.e., Central, Bundang, Sinbundang, Incheon, Gyeongui, and Gyeongchun) were chosen. The noise was measured and recorded by a sound level meter for two-hour periods in the morning and evening.

Results

1) In the LZeq analysis, the average noise level of all 15 lines was 72.78 dB; the maximum and minimum noise levels were 78.34 and 62.46 dB, respectively. The average noise level of the nine lines inside Seoul was 73.45 dB, which was 1.68-dB louder than that of the six lines surrounding the capital city area. 2) Based on the LZeq analysis of 33 measured frequencies, 12.5 Hz was the highest frequency and 20,000 Hz was the lowest. 3) There was no remarkable difference in the level of subway interior noise between morning and evening peak commuter times.

Conclusions

We concluded that the level of subway interior noise was not loud enough for commuters to incur noise-induced hearing loss. Regardless, environmental noise control efforts in the subway system might be needed for commuters who take a subway every day.

The Role of Soundscape in Nature-Based Rehabilitation: A Patient Perspective

Nature-based rehabilitation (NBR) has convincing support in research, yet the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. The present study sought to increase understanding of the role of soundscapes in NBR, an aspect paid little attention thus far. Transcribed interviews with 59 patients suffering from stress-related mental disorders and undergoing a 12-week therapy programme in the rehabilitation garden in Alnarp, Sweden, were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenology Analysis (IPA). Described sounds were categorised as natural, technological or human. The results showed that patients frequently referred to natural sounds as being part of a pleasant and “quiet” experience that supported recovery and induced “soft fascination”. Technological sounds were experienced as disturbing, while perception of human sounds varied depending on loudness and the social context. The study further uncovered how sound influenced patients’ behaviour and experiences in the garden, through examination of three cross-theme dimensions that materialised in the study; sound in relation to overall perception, sound in relation to garden usage, and increased susceptibility to sound. The findings are discussed in relation to NBR; the need for a more nuanced understanding of susceptibility to sound among people suffering from mental fatigue was identified and design considerations for future rehabilitation gardens were formulated.

High-sensitivity acoustic sensors from nanofibre webs

Considerable interest has been devoted to converting mechanical energy into electricity using polymer nanofibres. In particular, piezoelectric nanofibres produced by electrospinning have shown remarkable mechanical energy-to-electricity conversion ability. However, there is little data for the acoustic-to-electric conversion of electrospun nanofibres. Here we show that electrospun piezoelectric nanofibre webs have a strong acoustic-to-electric conversion ability. Using poly(vinylidene fluoride) as a model polymer and a sensor device that transfers sound directly to the nanofibre layer, we show that the sensor devices can detect low-frequency sound with a sensitivity as high as 266 mV Pa(-1). They can precisely distinguish sound waves in low to middle frequency region. These features make them especially suitable for noise detection. Our nanofibre device has more than five times higher sensitivity than a commercial piezoelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride) film device. Electrospun piezoelectric nanofibres may be useful for developing high-performance acoustic sensors.

Impacts of pavement types on in-vehicle noise and human health

Noise is a major source of pollution that can affect the human physiology and living environment. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an exposure for longer than 24 hours to noise levels above 70 dB(A) may damage human hearing sensitivity, induce adverse health effects, and cause anxiety to residents nearby roadways. Pavement type with different roughness is one of the associated sources that may contribute to in-vehicle noise. Most previous studies have focused on the impact of pavement type on the surrounding acoustic environment of roadways, and given little attention to in-vehicle noise levels. This paper explores the impacts of different pavement types on in-vehicle noise levels and the associated adverse health effects. An old concrete pavement and a pavement with a thin asphalt overlay were chosen as the test beds. The in-vehicle noise caused by the asphalt and concrete pavements were measured, as well as the drivers' corresponding heart rates and reported riding comfort. Results show that the overall in-vehicle sound levels are higher than 70 dB(A) even at midnight. The newly overlaid asphalt pavement reduced in-vehicle noise at a driving speed of 96.5 km/hr by approximately 6 dB(A). Further, on the concrete pavement with higher roughness, driver heart rates were significantly higher than on the asphalt pavement. Drivers reported feeling more comfortable when driving on asphalt than on concrete pavement. Further tests on more drivers with different demographic characteristics, along highways with complicated configurations, and an examination of more factors contributing to in-vehicle noise are recommended, in addition to measuring additional physical symptoms of both drivers and passengers.

IMPLICATIONS

While there have been many previous noise-related studies, few have addressed in-vehicle noise. Most studies have focused on the noise that residents have complained about, such as neighborhood traffic noise. As yet, there have been no complaints by drivers that their own in-vehicle noise is too loud. Nevertheless, it is a fact that in-vehicle noise can also result in adverse health effects if it exceeds 85 dB(A). Results of this study show that in-vehicle noise was strongly associated with pavement type and roughness; also, driver heart rate patterns presented statistically significant differences on different types of pavement with different roughness.

Is there an association between aircraft noise exposure and the incidence of hypertension? A meta-analysis of 16784 participants

To determine if aircraft noise exposure causes an increased incidence of hypertension among residents near airports. We conducted a meta-analysis of observational studies to evaluate the association between aircraft noise exposure and the incidence of hypertension. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database were searched without any restrictions. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted. The pooled ORs were calculated using both the fixed effects model and random effects model. All analyses were performed using STATA version 12.0 software (Stata Corporation, College Station, TX, USA). We examined five studies, comprising a total of 16,784 residents. The overall OR for hypertension in residents with aircraft noise exposure was 1.63 (95% CI, 1.14-2.33), and one of our included studies showed that there was no evidence that aircraft noise is a risk factor for hypertension in women. According to our subgroup analysis, the summary OR for the incidence was 1.31 (95% CI, 0.85-2.02) with I² of 80.7% in women and 1.36 (95% CI, 1.15-1.60) with moderate heterogeneity in men. The pooled OR for the incidence of hypertension in residents aged over 55 years and under 55 years was 1.66 (95% CI, 1.21-2.27) with no heterogeneity and 1.78 (95% CI, 1.33-2.39) with I² of 29.4%, respectively. The present meta-analysis suggests that aircraft noise could contribute to the prevalence of hypertension, but the evidence for a relationship between aircraft noise exposure and hypertension is still inconclusive because of limitations in study populations, exposure characterization, and adjustment for important confounders.

The relation between self-reported worry and annoyance from air and road traffic

Negative perceptions such as fear or worry are known to be an important determinant of annoyance. Annoyance caused by noise and odour has been analysed in relation to worry about safety or health due to environmental hazards, using responses to a health survey. In the survey area high environmental impacts come from air and road traffic. The survey results show a correlation between worry due to the airport or passing aircraft and noise and odour annoyance from aircraft (correlation coefficient (c.c.) close to 0.6). For the relation between worry about a busy street and annoyance from road traffic the correlation is lower (c.c. 0.4-0.5). Worries about different situations, such as living below sea level, close to an airport, busy street or chemical industry, are highly correlated (c.c. 0.5-0.9), also for situations that are not obviously related. Personal factors can also lead to more worry: being female, above 35 years of age, having a high risk for anxiety/depression and being in bad health increase the odds for being worried. The results thus suggest that worry about safety or health is correlated to both personal and environmental factors.

Auditory and non-auditory effects of noise on health

Noise is pervasive in everyday life and can cause both auditory and non-auditory health effects. Noise-induced hearing loss remains highly prevalent in occupational settings, and is increasingly caused by social noise exposure (eg, through personal music players). Our understanding of molecular mechanisms involved in noise-induced hair-cell and nerve damage has substantially increased, and preventive and therapeutic drugs will probably become available within 10 years. Evidence of the non-auditory effects of environmental noise exposure on public health is growing. Observational and experimental studies have shown that noise exposure leads to annoyance, disturbs sleep and causes daytime sleepiness, affects patient outcomes and staff performance in hospitals, increases the occurrence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, and impairs cognitive performance in schoolchildren. In this Review, we stress the importance of adequate noise prevention and mitigation strategies for public health.

Urban health challenges in Europe

This article synthesizes diverse official reports, statistics, and scientific papers that present demographic, economic, environmental, and social trends impacting on the health and quality of life of citizens living in European cities. A literature review led to the identification of some key challenges including an aging society, migration flows, inequalities in health, global change, and risk behaviors that should be addressed in order to promote urban health. Other challenges, such as food production and consumption, are also relevant, but not included. Cities that have participated in one or more of the phases of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network have implemented a number of policies, programs, and measures to deal with the challenges discussed in this article. Some contributions are presented to illustrate how health and quality of life in urban areas can be promoted by local authorities.